Home Three-phase modeling and optimization of benzene alkylation in commercial catalytic reactors
Article
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

Three-phase modeling and optimization of benzene alkylation in commercial catalytic reactors

  • Donya Danesh , Mohammad Farsi EMAIL logo and Mohammad Reza Rahimpour
Published/Copyright: March 29, 2021
Become an author with De Gruyter Brill

Abstract

The main object of this research is heterogenous modeling of benzene alkylation in three phase reactors based on the mass and energy balance equations by coupling the kinetic and equilibrium models and optimization the process conditions to enhance production capacity. In the first step, the alkylation reactors are simulated considering a three-phase model including heat and mass transfer resistances in the solid catalyst, gas and liquid phases. To prove the accuracy of developed model and adopted assumptions, the simulation results are compared with the plant data. Based on the simulation results, the benzene conversion and ethylbenzene selectivity in the alkylation reactors are 15.03 and 94.60% at the conventional condition. In the second step, considering the temperature of inlet streams to the reactors as decision variables, an optimization problem is formulated to maximize the ethylbenzene production rate as the objective function. Based on the simulation results, applying optimal condition on the system improves the ethylbenzene production by 1.33% at the same ethylene conversion compared to the conventional condition.


Corresponding author: Mohammad Farsi, Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran, E-mail:

  1. Author contributions: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.

  2. Research funding: None declared.

  3. Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding this article.

References

1. Cheng, J, Degnan, T, Beck, J, Huang, Y, Kalyanaraman, M, Kowalski, J, et al.. A comparison of zeolites MCM-22, beta, and USY for liquid phase alkylation of benzene with ethylene. Studies in surface science and catalysis. Elsevier 1999;121:53–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0167-2991(99)80044-5.Search in Google Scholar

2. Addiego, WP, Liu, W, Boger, T. Iron oxide-based honeycomb catalysts for the dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to styrene. Catal Today 2001;69:25–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0920-5861(01)00351-0.Search in Google Scholar

3. Nejad Ebrahimi, A, Zolfaghari Sharak, A, Mousavi, S, Aghazadeh, F. Application of GA in optimization of modified benzene alkylation process. J Petrol Sci Technol 2012;2:43–9. https://doi.org/10.22078/JPST.2012.76.Search in Google Scholar

4. Degnan, TFJr, Smith, CM, Venkat, CR. Alkylation of aromatics with ethylene and propylene: recent developments in commercial processes. Appl Catal Gen 2001;221:283–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0926-860x(01)00807-9.Search in Google Scholar

5. Chsherbakova, Y, Dolganova, I, Belinskaya, N. Benzene alkylation with ethylene process mathematical modeling. In: 7th International Forum on Strategic Technology (IFOST). Russia: IEEE; 2012.10.1109/IFOST.2012.6357494Search in Google Scholar

6. Ganji, H, Ahari, JS, Farshi, A, Kakavand, M. Modelling and simulation of benzene alkylation process reactors for production of ethylbenzene. Petrol Coal 2004;46:55–63.Search in Google Scholar

7. Ebrahimi, AN, Sharak, AZ, Mousavi, SA, Aghazadeh, F, Soltani, A. Modification and optimization of benzene alkylation process for production of ethylbenzene. Chem Eng Process: Process Intensif 2011;50:31–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cep.2010.10.011.Search in Google Scholar

8. Ng, QH, Sharma, S, Rangaiah, GP. Design and analysis of an ethyl benzene production process using conventional distillation columns and dividing-wall column for multiple objectives. Chem Eng Res Des 2017;118:142–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cherd.2016.10.046.Search in Google Scholar

9. Soltanalizadeh Maleki, H, Behroozsarand, A, Ghasemzadeh, K. Reactor rearrangement of an industrial ethylbenzene production unit. Gas Process J 2018;6:61–74. https://doi.org/10.22108/GPJ.2019.113339.1042.Search in Google Scholar

10. Froment, GF, Bischoff, KB, De Wilde, J. Chemical reactor analysis and design. New York: Wiley; 1990.Search in Google Scholar

11. Holman, JP. Heat transfer. New York: McGraw-Hill; 1986.Search in Google Scholar

12. Scott Fogler, H. Elements of chemical reaction engineering. Chem Eng Sci 1987;42:2493. https://doi.org/10.1016/0009-2509(87)80130-6.Search in Google Scholar

13. Al-Kinany, MC, Al-Megren, HA, Al-Ghilan, EA, Edwards, PP, Xiao, T, Al-Shammari, AS, et al.. Selective zeolite catalyst for alkylation of benzene with ethylene to produce ethylbenzene. Appl Petrochem Res 2012;2:73–83. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13203-012-0022-6.Search in Google Scholar

14. Perry, JH. Chemical engineers’ handbook. New York: McGraw-Hill; 1950.10.1021/ed027p533.1Search in Google Scholar

15. Reid, RC, Prausnitz, JM, Poling, BE. The properties of gases and liquids. New York: McGraw-Hill; 1987.Search in Google Scholar

16. Poling, BE, Prausnitz, JM, O’connell, JP. The properties of gases and liquids. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2001.Search in Google Scholar

17. Wilke, C. Estimation of liquid diffusion coefficients. Chem Eng Prog 1949;45:218–24. https://doi.org/10.1021/ie50546a056.Search in Google Scholar

18. Fukushima, S, Kusaka, K. Liquid-phase volumetric and mass-transfer coefficient, and boundary of hydrodynamic flow region in packed column with cocurrent downward flow. J Chem Eng Jpn 1977;10:468–74. https://doi.org/10.1252/jcej.10.468.Search in Google Scholar

19. Cho, JS, Wakao, N. Determination of liquid-side and gas-side volumetric mass transfer coefficients in a bubble column. J Chem Eng Jpn 1988;21:576–81. https://doi.org/10.1252/jcej.21.576.Search in Google Scholar

20. Specchia, V, Baldi, G. Pressure drop and liquid holdup for two phase concurrent flow in packed beds. Chem Eng Sci 1977;32:515–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/0009-2509(77)87008-5.Search in Google Scholar

21. Farsi, M, Jahanmiri, A. Methanol production in an optimized dual-membrane fixed-bed reactor. Chem Eng Process: Process Intensif 2011;50:1177–85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cep.2011.08.011.Search in Google Scholar

Received: 2020-11-08
Accepted: 2021-03-17
Published Online: 2021-03-29

© 2021 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Downloaded on 13.9.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/cppm-2020-0104/pdf
Scroll to top button